Daniel Cormier believes Stipe Miocic will be on his back more often than not on Aug. 15.
Cormier and Miocic are set to collide in the main event of UFC 252. This will be the third encounter between the two. The score 1-1 with Miocic scoring the last victory to regain the UFC heavyweight championship. Cormier has said that no matter the outcome, he will retire after his trilogy bout with Miocic.
Daniel Cormier Says Wrestling Will Be Key Against Stipe Miocic
Cormier found success in the grappling department in his rematch with Miocic. “DC” abandoned the wrestling, however, and kept the fight standing. This ended up being his doom as Miocic found a home for body shots before going upstairs to score the fourth-round TKO victory.
Speaking to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Cormier said he’s prepared to stick to the game plan this time and wrestle Miocic (h/t MMAFighting).
“I love fighting at the APEX,” Cormier said on his ESPN show yesterday. “That old leg is gonna be right in front of me to grab. I’ll be like Curtis Blaydes. If you want to see a 25-minute stand-up fight, that’s not what you’re getting. I hope Stipe has his wrestling shoes, because with the small cage, single-leg, single-leg, single-leg, single-leg, wrestling. It is what it is. Sorry.”
Clearly, Cormier likes the idea of a smaller Octagon. If Miocic ends up calling for a normal-sized cage and gets his way, Cormier still believes he’ll execute his game plan. Cormier has said that he abandoned the wrestling in his second bout with Miocic because of back issues. He insists that he feels 100 percent and has been wrestling consistently in preparation for the bout.
Do you think Daniel Cormier will be able to utilize his wrestling more effectively in his third bout with Stipe Miocic?
